Cat is scared in the morning but not at night

Question
I just adopted a 3 year old cat two days ago. He was found as a stray, so I'm not sure if he ever had a home, or for how long. At the shelter he was very friendly and loved to be pet by people. The first day we brought him home, he was very frightened of the apartment, which is understandable. He warmed up later that night, and started walking around a little more. He even slept at the foot of our bed all night!

The next morning he was scared again, not wanting to come out from under the bed. We helped him in to the living room and gently showed him around, giving him treats and affection. By night time he was completely fearless, wandering around the whole apartment, listening to the cars outside, jumping on the couch to sit with us, coming when called, and sleeping at the bottom of our bed again. He seemed to be completely comfortable!

However, this morning he was under the bed again, refusing to come out. I pulled him out in order to feed him breakfast, but after eating he acted scared and ran under the bed again. Why is he so scared in the morning, but not at night? And how can I get him to be comfortable at all times of the day?

Answer
Hi Ruby,

Cats are generally more active and more willing to explore at night. During daylight hours, it's natural for them to want to hide away. This goes all the way back to their natural instincts to hide themselves from the eyes of predators during the day, and only be active when they have the cover of darkness during twilight hours. This is why nature has equipped them with vision that works so well at night.

You will probably notice that he is more active at night in general, at least until he conforms to your sleep schedule. But he should start to hide less as he becomes more comfortable with his new surroundings. For most cats, this takes about two weeks. For well-adjusted cats, around 3-4 days, and for very timid cats, it can take several weeks. I encourage the use of food treats to get nervous cats to come out from hiding. Be sure to keep his surroundings quiet and free from sudden movements. Also, you might be amazed at what calming music will do for a cat. Classical, new age and gentle rock music are soothing to many cats when played quietly.

If he is continuing to hide most of the time in another week, I would recommend moving him into a place where you can block off all possible hiding spots. This will allow you to reach him at all times for more intensive socialization. Spend lots of hands-on contact time with him, and keep up the hand-fed food treats (I like bits of chicken). He should come along very quickly.

Good luck!
Jessica